Adjustable container



Feb. 19, 1935. E, A. sPAcHMANN Er Al. 1,991,427

ADJUSTABLE CONTAINER Filed July 2o, 1953 (Z. @cl2/nam; oremazzgleopoki Patented Feb. 19, 1935 UNITED VSTATESA PATENT OFFICE .ADJUSTABLE coN'rArNEn of Illinois Application July 20, 1933, Serial No. 681,278

2 Claims. (Cl. 20S-44) Ihe present invention relates to that type of display containers usually embodying a detachable and releasable glazed cover with hinged lid, and a false bottom or tray adjustable as to height to give the semblance of a full box at all times as the contents become progressively depleted.

Suchl structures find place particularly where the commodities are of a character to become dry and stale, so that a partially empty container gives rise in. the mind of the shopper to an often erroneous impression of aged stock while an apparently full box suggests freshly opened goods.

It has been proposed to support a false bottom or tray in a cigar box, a cracker or candy caddy or the like by flexible pull strips, the free terminal portions of which overlie and project beyond the upper edges of the box and are so held with the tray in adjusted position.

The particular purpose of our invention is the utilization of the hinged cover to frictionally grip and to guide the suspending pull strips, and the fashioning of the pull strips in such manner as by shape or embellishment that a glance at the exposed terminal portions will indicate the position occupied in the box by the tray, the extent of depletion of the contents and also the relation of the false bottom to the horizontal.

In order that the invention in all of its details may be readily understood a preferred embodiment of the same is set forth in the accompanying drawing and in the following description predicated thereon, it being understood that the description and drawing are to be taken in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container embodying the invention in full condition;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the contents depleted;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 represents a modification in section.

vHaving reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing the container or box 11 is of flbreboard or other suitable material, the side walls at their upper margins ilanged at l2 and 13.

As delivered to the dealer the box contains in its lowermost portion a flbreboard false bottom or tray 14 upwardly ilanged along two opposite sides as indicated at 15 for stiiening purposes. Except for economy of space it might equally well be flanged downwardly. Pull strips 16 of flexible tough material such as kraft paper are attached to the other two opposite sides ofthe tray and extend upwardly and overlie the commodity within the box upon'the tray, while the flanges l2 and 13 of the box sides also extend inwardly above the pull strips, and a separable breboard cover closes oil the top of the box.

When the dealer wishes to dispense the conv tents of the container, he removes the separable ilbreboard cover and substitutes the metal cover which comprises the member 17 having downwardly extending ilanges 18 and the cover member 19 hinged at 20 and concentrically glazed at 21, iirst turning the box flanges 12 outwardly and downwardly parallel to the side walls and turning the terminal portions 16a of the pull strips outwardly over the down-turned flanges 12 s0 that they depend in a position parallel to the side walls of the container.

The anges 18 of the cover thus lie outside the pull strip terminal portions 16a opposite the libreboard flange 12 and the pull strips are frictionally engaged by said iiangesY 18 whereby the tray 15 is held suspended in any adjusted position ascompiished by pulling downwardly upon the pull strip terminals 16a.

The flanges 18v of the cover member are provided with indentations 22 horizontally spaced a distance slightly greater than the width of the pull strips whereby to serve as a guide for said `pull strips and the indentationsalso engage beneath the lower edges of the box anges 12 whereby the cover member is held securely in position upon the container. f

The pull strips are suitably embellished to indicate the extent to which the container has been depleted of its contents. This may be done in various ways, as for instance by imprinting thereon the words Empty, Half full, and Full, the relation of the word to the lower edge of the box cover representing the degree of fullness. Pictorial means may also be employed to graphically indicate the amount o1' goods. left in the container, as by the employment of a triangle 23, the apex 24 of which indicates complete depletion while the broad base 25 indicates a full container. The full and depleted stages are indicated respectively in Figs. 1 and 2.

Moreover, by withdrawing the pull strips to an extent so that the graduations on the two terminals occupy the same relation to the marginal cover, one may be assured that the tray 15 within the container occupies a horizontal rather than tilted position.

Instead of utilizing the friction between the cover and the box to hold the pull strips in adjusted position, the lower edge of the cover flange may be provided with spurs or teeth as indicated in Fig. 4, these teeth preferably slightly intu'rned and positively engaging the paper pull strips to prevent retrogression under the weight oi the contents.

We claim:

1; In a dispensing container the combination o! a fibre-board box having an inwardly andan outwardly and downwardly turned flange, a supplemental hinged cover with downwardly extending embracing ilanges, indentations carried by opposite flanges o! the cover to engage beneath the downtumed box ilanges, said indentations.

horizontally spaced, a tlbreboard tray having two opposite sides bent upwardly at a stiiiening angle, iiexible tough paper pull strips attached to the other two opposite sides of the, tray and ex'- tending upwardly over the box margin and thence\ outwardLv and downwardly between the cover flanges and downturned box flanges and guided between the engaging indentations, the projecting portions of the pull strips graduated graphically to indicate the vertical and horizontal position of the tray within the box 'and the extent o! depletion of the contents.

2.- A container, comprising a fibre-l board box *having outwardly land downwardly v turned marginal flanges at its upper edges, a supplemental cover having downwardly extending i'.langes iitting over said marginal flanges. spaoedfmeans on said cover for engagement beneathsaidmarginalmatrayinsaidbox. and nexible tough pull strips extending from opposite sidesof said tray upwardly over the top of said box and downwardly adjacent said marginal iiangesfsaid. pull strips passing between saidspacedmcansandbeingsecuredinposition by said cover. f

` nm. s. sracmmrm.

FORMAN N. IIOPOL'D. n 

